WH Responds to Bannon Claims, North Korea Tweets

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Russia is helping North Korea get supplies in violation of international sanctions and that Pyongyang is getting "closer every day" to developing a long-range missile that could hit the United States, Reuters reported.

"Russia is not helping us at all with North Korea," Trump said during an Oval Office interview with Reuters. "What China is helping us with, Russia is denting. In other words, Russia is making up for some of what China is doing."

With North Korea persisting as the major global challenge facing Trump this year, the president cast doubt during the 53-minute interview on whether talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be useful. And he said Pyongyang is steadily advancing in being able to deliver a missile that could threaten the United States.

"They're not there yet, but they're close. And they get closer every day," said Trump.

North Korea Conducts New Missile Test

North Korea launched a ballistic missile on Nov. 28. The launch is the 17th since February.